Author: Dick Mangrum

The chairwoman of Oconee Democrats sees some movement in the impasse between her party and the Republicans over a new stimulus bill.  Jody Gaulin sees common ground between the moderate leaders of both parties and the possibility that a bill could be reported out of the legislative chambers by the October recess, in advance of the November election.  Julian Davis, […]

A Hamilton Career student from West-Oak High has been added to the list of Oconee students confirmed to have COVID-19.  This afternoon the school district is staying the course.  Superintendent Thorsland said, “Our current plan is to continue with what we have done for the first four weeks.”  That is giving students the option of in-class academics or at home […]

South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is sharing updated data that shows communities with mask requirement ordinances in place continue to see a slower rate of disease spread compared to communities without mask requirements. On August 12, DHEC released the initial findings of its data analysis of the counties and municipalities that have implemented mask requirements for individuals when […]

DHEC announced 766 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, along with 21 additional confirmed deaths, including a new death of an elderly Oconeean from September 11. This brings the total number of South Carolina confirmed cases to 133,310 and confirmed deaths to 3,010. The total number of individual test results reported to DHEC yesterday statewide was 6,324 (not […]

At their meeting Monday, Seneca planning commissioners will invite public comment on a pair of zoning change applications.  The first hearing will be switch to residential zoning for 501 S. Fairplay Street, which once was a child care center.  The second hearing involves four city of Seneca lots adjoining the Shaver Recreation Center.  The city requests they be designated R-20 […]

  Chairman Julian Davis of the all-Republican Oconee County Council hopes a new COVID-19 economic package will emerge without a $600 dollar weekly benefit to those who are jobless, as a supplement to the regular unemployment benefit available from the states.  And the reason is the counterproductive effect that jobless checks as high as $1,200 week are having on employers’ […]

South Carolina Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) announced 740 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 27 additional confirmed deaths.  The latest death toll includes one Oconee County resident, who died Wednesday.  Eleven new Oconee County virus  cases are on yesterday’s report. This brings the total number of South Carolina confirmed cases to 132,565 and confirmed  deaths to 2,992. The total […]

Oconee County has approved budgets.  Now it has the tax mill rates to generate the monies to fund expenses.  The county council last night received the recommendations of the county auditor, ahead of preparing the 2020 property tax bills.  The council set un-incorporated tax mills for general operations at 80.3 and in-corporated millage at 77.4.  For school purposes, mills will […]

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), City of Columbia, and the University of South Carolina (UofSC) today announced its surge testing efforts to expand access to free COVID-19 testing in Columbia, S.C. “‘I’m glad to be in Columbia to represent HHS as these testing […]